What should you know about palliative care?
Palliative care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) specializes in the relief of the pain, symptoms and stress of serious illness. The goal is to prevent and relieve suffering and to ensure the best possible quality of life for patients and their families. It is appropriate at any stage of an illness and can be provided at the same time as curative treatment.
1 How do I know if palliative care is right for me?
Palliative care may be right for you if you suffer from pain or other symptoms due to a serious illness. Serious illnesses include but are not limited to: cancer, cardiac disease, respiratory disease, kidney failure, Alzheimer’s, AIDS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis. Palliative care can be utilized at any stage of illness and alongside curative treatment.
4 Where do I receive palliative care?
Palliative care can be offered in a variety of places, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, hospices or at home.
2 What can I expect from palliative care?
When you receive palliative care you can expect relief from distressing symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping. Palliative care improves your ability to carry on with your daily life. It improves your ability to tolerate medical treatments and helps you to better understand your condition and your choices for medical care. In short, you can expect the best possible quality of life.
5 Does my insurance pay for palliative care?
Most insurance plans cover all or a portion of the palliative care treatment you receive in the hospital, similar to other hospital and Medical services. This is also true of Medicare and Medicaid. Drugs, medical supplies and equipment may also be covered. If you have financial concerns, a social worker or financial consultant from the palliative care team can assist you with payment options.
3 Who provides Palliative care?
Palliative care is usually provided by a team of experts, including palliative care doctors, nurses and social workers. Teams can also include chaplains, massage therapists, nutritionists, ethicists and others. Teams will usually vary from hospital to hospital.
6 How do I start getting palliative care?
Ask for palliative care! Start by talking with your primary physician or nurse. Make your wishes for palliative care known to family, friends and caregivers. Then ask for a palliative care referral.
To learn more go to OU Sooner Palliative Care : http://nursing.ouhsc.edu/SPCI/
This site is provided by the Center to Advance Palliative Care